Rangers Revamp Front Office by Hiring Former Players
After the Rangers were eliminated from the 2024 playoffs, Blake Wheeler wasn’t sure if he’d return for another season. Ultimately, the 39-year-old decided to retire from playing, but his time away from hockey didn’t last long. 
On Monday, Wheeler rejoined the Rangers in a front-office role as a hockey operations advisor, marking his return to the organization as part of a series of hirings and promotions announced by general manager Chris Drury.
Among the other changes, Ryane Clowe was brought back to the Rangers as an assistant general manager. Ryan Martin was promoted from assistant GM to associate GM, while Jim Sullivan was elevated to assistant GM. Martin will continue overseeing the general manager duties for AHL Hartford.
Wheeler, who spent most of his 16-year playing career with the Winnipeg Jets (including six years as captain), played just one season with the Rangers, appearing in 54 games before suffering a serious leg injury. Despite the injury seeming to end his season, Wheeler made an impressive recovery, returning earlier than expected to play in Game 4 of the conference finals. He logged 9:18 of ice time in a 3-2 overtime loss to Florida, which would be his final game.
“Not everyone would go through that three-month journey to get back in that situation,” then-captain Jacob Trouba said at the time. “It really shows the character of the guy and who he is. We saw the effort he put in during those three months to come back and contribute to the team.”
Clowe, who previously spent two years as a hockey operations advisor and a year as co-senior advisor with the Rangers, also returned to New York after a stint in San Jose. There, he served as assistant general manager before announcing his resignation from the Sharks on Sunday. Clowe called the decision to leave “extremely difficult,” explaining that it was in the best interest of his family. He expressed gratitude for his time with San Jose, a team with which he spent much of his playing career.
“I loved being back in San Jose and working with [Sharks GM] Mike Grier and his entire team, but at this point, this decision is in the best interest of my family,” Clowe said. “The franchise has an exciting future ahead, and I am grateful for the opportunity to return to San Jose.”
Sullivan, who is unrelated to head coach Mike Sullivan, previously held the role of VP of hockey strategy and data management. He has been with the Rangers for 17 seasons, starting as a video analyst in 2009.
Martin, who joined the Rangers alongside Drury in 2021, spent 16 years with the Red Wings, including 11 years as their assistant GM. With Martin now promoted to associate GM, the Rangers’ front office will operate with two assistant GMs and an associate GM, signaling a shift in their management structure.
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